IBM Acquires Merge Healthcare Image Management Platform

The newly formed IBM (Armonk, NY, USA) Watson health analytics unit will soon be able to read medical images, due to the planned acquisition of Merge Healthcare (Chicago, IL, USA) for USD 1 billion.

IBM plans to combine data and images from Merge Healthcare's medical imaging management platform with Watson's cloud-based healthcare computing system in an effort to unlock the value of medical images, helping physicians make better patient care decisions. The combined platform will help physicians and researchers collate and analyze data, such as a patient's medical and family history, data on others with similar symptoms, and clinical research, trials, and outcomes. Using the Watson supercomputer to analyze the high volumes of data, complex questions can be posed in natural language and evidence-based answers can be delivered.

Merge’s technology platforms are used at more than 7,500 US healthcare sites, as well as most of the world’s leading clinical research institutes and pharmaceutical firms, helping to manage the burgeoning body of medical images. The vision is that these organizations could use the Watson Health Cloud to uncover new insights from a consolidated, patient-centric view of current and historical images, electronic health records (EHRs), data from wearable devices, and other related medical data, in a HIPAA-enabled environment.

“As a proven leader in delivering healthcare solutions for over 20 years, Merge is a tremendous addition to the Watson Health platform,” said John Kelly, senior vice president of IBM Research and Solutions Portfolio. “Watson’s powerful cognitive and analytic capabilities, coupled with those from Merge and our other major strategic acquisitions, position IBM to partner with healthcare providers, research institutions, biomedical companies, insurers and other organizations committed to changing the very nature of health and healthcare in the 21st century.”

“Combining Merge’s leading medical imaging solutions with the world-class machine learning and analytics capabilities of IBM’s Watson Health is the future of healthcare technology,” said Michael W. Ferro, Jr., chairman of Merge Healthcare. “Merge’s leading technology and proven expertise represent a unique combination of assets that will deliver unparalleled value to Watson Health clients. Together, we will unlock unprecedented new opportunities to improve patient diagnostics and deliver enhanced care.”

In April 2015, IBM announced the acquisitions of Explorys, developer of a cloud computing platform used by 26 major healthcare systems, and Phytel, a developer of cloud-based services that aim to optimize care in light of new government regulations and shifting reimbursement models. The move also comes just a few months after IBM created the Watson Health business unit and formed med tech alliances with Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland), Johnson & Johnson (J&J; New Brunswick, NJ, USA), and Apple (Cupertino, CA, USA).

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